A gift from the Heart
by PerfectGreiSky
Summary: Sometimes cards and candy aren't needed to express love. Sometimes the best gifts are those that come from the heart. During a time when Sora can't seem to get Kairi out of his mind, Riku steps in and teaches him that feelings don't necessarily have to be bought from any particular store. AU Riku/Sora yaoi


Author's Rambles

I must say I'm incredibly humbled by the response I got from my last one shot: The Masquerade. So Far it's gotten 54 Favs and 19 reviews. Holy crap. Thanks guys! So I figured I'd try again with yet another one shot. Of course this is a AU fic. There are hints of Sora and Kairi but this is definitely a Riku/Sora yaoi. Not your cup of tea? Please don't read. However, if you like your tea with lemon, please continue.

Oh and Happy Valentine's Day

* * *

A gift from the heart

Sora huffed and jumped to his feet with new found determination. "I got it! I know what I'm going to do!" The afternoon wind blew steadily, ruffling his school uniform and hair respectively. It was lunch time and as usual he had ventured to the roof of the school building to eat with his best friend.

"Is that right?" Riku's nonchalant answer drifted to him on the persistent breeze. But not even his best friend's negative attitude would spoil this day. That's right, Valentine's Day was tomorrow and Sora had plans to confess to the girl of his dreams. Romantic, no? "So what's the plan genius?"

"I'll get her chocolates and a card." He grinned. "Then after she accepts them, I'll tell her my feelings!"

"Kairi only likes white chocolates. Most of the boxed candies are regular chocolate."

And just like that the wind was taken out of his sails. "How do you know that?" he sulked. What girl didn't like chocolate? Well technically white chocolate was chocolate but at the same time not. It was like…albino chocolate. Yeah, that seemed about right. Can you even say albino chocolate? He should probably keep that one to himself so no one would get offended.

Riku shrugged as he downed the remaining bits of his meal. "We grew up together. How would you not know that after all these years?" He answered, closing his lunchbox with a soft shake of his head. "You're a little late if you're going shopping. Valentine's Day is tomorrow. Most of the really good cards will be picked over in the stores."

The brunette groaned. Since when was it too late to get a gift? Guys across the country last minute shop. It's a guy thing! Surely there's that one special card that could relay his message. "Why are we friends again? You're not really being supportive at all." He pouted.

With a laugh Riku got to his feet and straightened his uniform. "Okay I'm sorry. Instead of getting her a generic gift, why not think of something different?" He said after a moment. When Sora's face contorted with confusion he sighed before continuing. "Well, make the gift more personal. Think outside the box. Girls like that sort of thing. It makes them feel special."

The lunch bell rang into the air, signaling the end of their lunch period. "That didn't help at all. Give me an example? What would you do?"

The silver haired teen looked thoughtful for a moment. He tilted his head this way and that before smiling. "Well," he began, crossing the space to stand before his distressed friend, "I'd spend the entire day making her feel special; starting when she woke up in the morning." He said with a casual smile. "We'd eat lunch together, and then maybe walk it off in the park." He paused to hold Sora's smaller hands in his own. "Then I'd even go out on a limb and try something new for her. That's just one idea though."

Sora's gaze traveled from Riku's sea colored eyes to their connected hands and back again. They were so close. There was a certain amount of intimacy in this simple pose that brought heat to his cheeks. Riku seemed to be able to do simple things like this almost as easily as it was to breathe. So this was sex appeal? Where the hell did you get THAT from? "Why are you single again?"

The older teen laughed, let him go and gave his shoulder a good pat. "It's a simpler life if you ask me. That and I haven't found that special person yet." With that he disappeared into the school building. From here on out they would be separated. Riku took all honor classes, while Sora stuck it out in regulars like a champ.

However most of the day was spent somewhere in the recesses of his mind. Riku was right. Kairi was special and deserved a very special gift. She was also very good looking. Any guy could give her chocolates and a card. He had to be different.

The trio grew up together. For the longest time it was just Sora and Riku always together until one day a new family moved in. Kairi nestled her way into their group like a long lost friend and had been there ever since. They had gone to the same elementary school together and even middle school, although that's when things had started getting a bit weird.

Sometime around middle school, hormones caused an eruption of bitter rivalry between the two boys. He grinned to himself at the thought. Most of their stupid little arguments started over nothing and ended with: 'The winner gets Kairi.' Wonder if she noticed their feelings back then? It she did she made no big deal of it thankfully. Maybe she just didn't want to ruin their friendship by picking between the two.

Once they all entered high school things changed yet again. Riku stepped back from their rivalry, taking his place in the background. At the time he saw it as the elder boy's defeat, but a little bit of time had matured him enough to believe that Riku truly supported his feelings for Kairi.

The school day passed quickly with his head off in the clouds. Only the final bell signaling the end of the day snapped him from his daze. The brunette rose from his seat, gathered his things and shuffled into the mass of exiting students.

Outside his friends greeted him, but it was her that made his heart skip a beat. "Sora!" her voice called out to his soul like the fleeting cries of a bird. Her blue eyes sparkled with a joy that made him feel it down to his shoes. Good god she was perfect.

"Hey Kairi." He managed after a moment. Great, for a second there he was certain he wouldn't say anything at all. He tried his best to limit the amount of stupidity he emitted around her. So far it seemed to be working. Go figure. "What's up?"

She smiled mischievously, taking the time to brush her hair behind her ears. "Ready for V-day?" she grinned, wiggling her eyebrows at him. Did she say V-day? How cute was that?!

"I'm ready for anything." He answered.

"You're more fun than Riku at least. When I asked him he said he wasn't interested." She pouted before turning on the other boy. "You weren't going to get me anything?"

Riku laughed and it was a warm and rich sound. "Yeah, for the sake of our friendship I was going to get you something. I'm pretty sure we've been connected at the hip for the most part of our lives. That deserves something."

"You know damned well you're too tall to connect to my hip." She said, bumping him with hers for effect. The two shared a laugh that made Sora smile. Let's face it; they were pretty much destined to grow old together. Could you imagine the three of them in a nursing home together? He and Riku would have epic wheel chair battles.

Riku started walking first. Kairi followed him and Sora took her other side. They've been together so long, simple things like walking this way was done without thinking. She talked casually about school and homework. Apparently she was struggling in math. Riku offered to tutor her in the subject.

Every now and then Sora would steal a glance at her. Her round face was animated with expression as she prattled on about her day. She even used her hands to speak. God she was cute. Surely he could come up with something special for her. It shouldn't be that hard. He ruffled his hair in frustration. Then again if it were easy, he would have had the perfect plan by now. "What's wrong Sora?" Kairi asked?

He jumped. "I um, I just-"

"You know Sora. He's slacking off in school work again. His mom is going to kill him." Riku interrupted.

Nice save bro! The two boys shared a look. Riku's calm and collective stare bore into his goofy smile in a split second form of communication commonly found between friends. "Yeah he's right. I'm fine."

She shook her head. "Well maybe if you day dreamed less you're grades would be better." Kairi gave him a reassuring smile. She was totally right but let's be honest. Him, give up his day dreaming time? That would be too much like right.

They walked Kairi home first, she waved at them and in turn the boys waited courteously until she made it inside before walking on. "Does it bother you that bad?" Riku muttered as they walked on. The brunette looked up at him. "Not knowing what to do for Valentine's Day?"

Riku was what most girls at school called a hot package. He was highly intelligent and great at sports. He also had good looks. Riku managed to be beautiful without looking too girly. His facial features were strong enough for his gender to obviously be known. His eyes were the color of the sea that surrounded their island. It was one of his most attractive features honestly. Staring into them you could almost catch a glimpse of peaceful waves, until he was angry anyway. When he was angry his eyes darkened like a sea at storm.

"Yeah, I guess it does."

"I don't think a gift should stress you out so much. Feelings are feelings, just act on them." He said simply. If only it were that easy.

"Who made you the expert? You're not even doing anything for the day."

Riku's walking halted to a stop. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky. "Yeah, I guess I'm not. But you're the one asking me for advice. It's not the other way around." After a moment he resumed his pace, but it was a bit brisker.

His whole body language had even changed. Normally he was relaxed in his movements, even a bit lazy. Was he angry? Did he say something wrong? "Hey Riku?"

"It's nothing." he snapped.

Sora cringed. It certainly didn't seem like nothing. As a matter of fact, he was positive it was SOMETHING but he wouldn't press the subject any further. The rest of their walk was filled with an awkward silence. When they reached Riku's house the elder boy simply nodded his goodbye, disappearing into his home quickly like he had a lot on his mind.

"Just can't do anything right can I?" Sora lamented. With a heavy sigh he walked the rest of the way home. He couldn't think of a gift for Kairi AND he had managed to offend Riku. He was certainly on a ball today. While having Riku angry at him was indeed distressing, Kairi's present should come first. After arriving at home the first thing he did was head to his room and grab a piece of paper to write down ideas. Maybe he could get her a teddy bear. Was she a teddy bear type of girl though? Most girls like those didn't they? Then again most liked normal chocolate too. Jeez, this was starting to make his head hurt.

Regardless of the difficulty he set to work sketching out ideas and marking out others until his eyelids grew heavy and the room was swallowed by darkness.

* * *

The silence was abruptly broken by the sound of a shrill beeping. Groaning Sora slowly stirred from his sleep. His room came into focus in pieces. Soon after came the pain. The hell? The brunette fumbled around sleepily for the phone, finding it buzzing at the edge of his desk. It was a text message:

**Happy Valentine's Day Sora. Kairi is out with her parents. **

**She said she'll be back later this afternoon. Want to hang out? – Riku**

He smiled, rubbing the sand from his eyes. He had spent most of the night writing down ideas and nothing stuck. It was never good enough. Maybe Riku was right and relationships were too complicated. Yeah whatever! Some things were worth the struggle. He stretched, popping the kinks out of his back from his awkward sleeping position before texting Riku back. There was no school today and it wasn't like he had any other plans. Maybe he'd find that special gift along the way.

With a fresh batch of hope he dressed and walked to Riku's house. The elder teen met him outside with a box. "Here." He said holding it out awkwardly. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Sora blinked but accepted it with a smile. "You didn't have to get me anything you know? It's more of a girl's holiday."

"True," Riku shrugged, "But I know you like to eat assorted chocolates without looking and then try to guess the flavor."

The brunette blushed, looking down at the box. "You remember so much about us. I can't seem to remember the important things about Kairi to make her a gift." He mused quietly.

"Hey, it's okay." The elder boy nudged his friend reassuringly. "I haven't eaten yet, let's go get some food." He smiled.

"Yeah!"

Kairi aside, the day was starting to look up. The pair wandered around until they reached Sora's favorite burger joint. Inside the smell made his mouth water. This place had the best burgers in town, not to mention they were HUGE. He could eat here every day. Riku ordered them two cheeseburgers and a side of fries and even paid.

Sora found them a booth and got their drinks. "Thanks for paying." He said, popping a chocolate in his mouth. After chewing a bit he grinned as the caramel center melted into his mouth. Okay yeah, so this was pretty fun. Don't judge him okay?

"No problem. I had some extra cash."

"You make me feel bad for not getting you anything though."

"Eat your damned food."

Sora complied, taking a bite of his burger. The first bite of something you really crave is the best isn't it? They ate in silence for a while until Riku cleared his throat. "Without the title, February 14th is just another day. Let's pretend for a second you woke up and wanted to do something special. What would you do?"

"That's the problem. I don't know!" the brunette groaned. "I'm no good at this type of thing."

"Well we have all day. I'll stick with you okay?"

Sora's friends were beyond awesome. His heart was swollen with appreciation at the moment. That Riku actually wanted to stick around to help meant a lot to him. With him helping, surely he'll come up with something wonderful. The pair ate until they were full and left the restaurant. "Everything I think of is too generic. Creativity hurts."

"Well if you make it hurt, yeah I guess it does." Stomach's full they continued their walk. "I have an idea but I feel like this is cheating. You're supposed to come up with this stuff on your own. "

There trek took them to the park The afternoon heat was beginning to set in, causing them to seek refuge in the shade of the park's trail. They were met by the occasional couple or runner, other than that the walk was fairly peaceful. "Oh come on, tell me!"

"I don't know." The silver haired teen teased. His face took on a soft smirk that made him look boyishly handsome. "If I'm going to be giving you ideas, I might as well present the gift to her myself."

Sora took a swing at him, which was dodged easily. "That's not funny!" Riku's laughter rang out through the shaded park path. He picked up the pace to a slow trot and the brunette gave chase. It was just like old times again. All of his life it seemed like he was always staring at his friend's strong, sturdy back. That thought along fueled his determination.

Sora pushed his legs faster until he found himself in a full sprint. Riku joined him and together they ran along, laughing as the wind whipped the hair around their faces. For a moment there was no Kairi, or even a gift. The only thing that mattered was this healthy competition between them.

The park path thinned and gave way to more concrete streets and buildings. Riku continued forward, crossing the road and heading down the street. Sora followed for as long as his legs and feet would carry him. When he looked up the elder boy was gone; the bastard. He'll beat him one of these days!

The brunette leaned against the nearest building to catch his breathe. "Here." The sudden presence of something cold and wet against his heated skin made him yelp. He turned to see Riku nudging him with a cold bottle of water. "I figured you'd be thirsty.

"You just know everything don't you?" he teased.

"I know people get thirsty from running. " Riku answered. "Then again that's common sense. Come on, we've got a little longer to go." Sora didn't question it, instead he took the bottle and drank it gratefully. The couple walked a bit further until a small red brick building loomed ahead of them. The walls were covered with various paintings. There was a sign at the top that read: Art Studio.

Sora only had a moment to stare in awe before Riku lead the way inside. The interior was room temperature. Large fans kept it moderately cool. Inside the smell was strong. It was a combination of art mediums mixed together to make one unique fragrance. "A art studio? I've never been here before."

The older boy smiled. "Yeah, it's been here for years. It's here promoting art amongst the inhabitants of the town or something like that."

Sora nodded, taking in the sights. There were old pictures and works in progress, there was a section devoted to clay work. It was certainly interesting. To be honest he loved drawing. Hell, that's all he really did in school when he should be taking notes. As a result he had a pretty decent talent for drawing.

Riku tugged him over to a canvas and gave him a pencil. "So draw something. Maybe that could be your gift." After that he found some clay and took a seat nearby to mold it into some awkward shape.

To be honest he had never thought to draw a picture for Kairi. Since it was suggested it seemed like a wonderful idea. It was creative and certainly personal. He could draw whatever he wanted and still get the point across. Riku was a freaking genius. Placing the pencil to the paper he started with the basic outline; a stick figure. He figured a simple drawing would be good enough. Nothing overly complicated.

If it wasn't for his best friend he'd probably still be moping at home, desperately trying to piece together a gift. He began to draw, occasionally looking up to see Riku's progress with whatever he was making. The elder teen's face was a mix of concentration and frustration as he shaped the clay. Sora smiled. It was nice to know that Mr. Perfect wasn't perfect at everything.

Satisfied with his peeping he went back to work, concentrating on the lines. There were so many details that he wanted to get right, the glow of the eyes, the curve of the lips, and even the flow of hair from a gentle breeze. He found himself erasing quite a bit but when he was satisfied he sighed. Who knows how much time had passed. Was it a hour? Or maybe two, who knew?

Either way the image was perfect. He knew and felt it. However there was just one problem. The picture stared back at him from the page with pensive eyes that seemed constantly fixed on the distance. The features were fair, but obviously masculine, and the hair was lighter in color and much longer. It was Riku. Without even thinking about it he had drawn Riku. What the hell?! How could he give this to Kairi?!

Speaking of the boy in question, he had fallen asleep at the table. A lopsided clay bowl sat beside him. His sleeping face was so peaceful. His long lashes twitched while he slept, dreaming of goodness knows. His lips were slightly parted and his chest rose and fell with every breath. What would he think of the picture?

Sora bit his lip and tore it from the canvas; quickly folding it so that he could hide it from view. The sudden sound jerked his friend from his sleep. "Oh, finished already?" Riku asked sleepily.

"Yeah. Thanks for this."

He got up and stretched nice and tall. "No problem. You should probably head home and get ready to meet Kairi. You're going to give that to her aren't you?" He pointed at the folded paper.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go home. You look tired anyway." The brunette forced a smile. Kairi would be home soon and he still didn't have a gift. Damn it all. They left the art studio behind and Sora made a point to stop at a store for a white chocolate candy bar and a cheesy card. This was turning out worse than he expected and he hadn't even faced her yet. His stomach was starting to turn.

Riku walked him to his house and gave him a few more words of encouragement. He needed every bit he could get at this point. Once he was alone he went into his room and unfolded the picture. No matter how he looked at it, it was Riku. Why did he draw him of all people? Maybe because he was thinking about his best friend at the time he did it without realizing it. With a heavy heart he sent her a text message. There was no point in stalling, might as well get the show on the road. Would the chocolate and card be enough? His phone buzzed. There was her response:

**Yeah, I'm home. See you in a bit.**

Placing the picture someplace safe he gathered the candy and card and set out again. He drug his feet a bit, trying to go over what to say in his mind. Speaking isn't difficult at all, it's confessing that made life difficult. It was almost the same as making a life changing decision. In some ways it was a life changing decision now that he thought about it.

When he got to Kairi's house he knocked and waited. Sure enough she emerged, wearing a cute blouse and skirt combo. His heart fluttered. Why was she so gorgeous?! "Hey Sora! Happy Valentine's Day!" She said, throwing her arms around his neck in a warm hug he awkwardly accepted. She stepped back to give him a box of candy.

"Kairi, you look great!" he managed after a moment. At least he knew his tongue still worked. Maybe this won't be as bad as he's thinking. Then again he hadn't exactly reached the hard part yet.

"Thanks." She smiled, pushing her hair away from her face in that oh so adorable way. "My parents drag me to lunch with them every year. My dad doesn't get mom cards anymore. He insists on taking out his special lady. It's very sweat."

"So it's like a tradition?" he asked.

"Yes! He got tired of the same thing every year and figured he'd do something different to make her feel special."

Sora grinned sheepishly and handed over his card and candy. "Well now I just feel bad. How do I compete with that?"

She laughed at the joke which was a plus, but he found himself distracted. There was something bothering him, a nagging thought at the back of his head. "Thank you Sora!" she smiled. "Riku gave me candy this morning. You two are the best!"

So that was it. Riku was bothering him. The more he thought about it, the more the feeling nagged.

_…..I'd spend the entire day making her feel special…._

"I'm glad you liked it. It's white chocolate. Riku said it was your favorite." He said.

She nodded. "Yeah it is. I don't know why. I just prefer this better."

_…starting when she woke up in the morning…._

Thinking back on it, his day started with a text message that made him smile; a simple text message and a request. But not just this morning but even before that he had been helped along. As a matter of fact, Riku spent the entire day comforting him and feeding him suggestions like a lost puppy.

_….we'd eat lunch together…._

Lunch was one of the first things they did together. They went to his favorite fast food restaurant and sat and at while Riku quietly listened to him whine about Kairi. The pieces were slowly starting to fall into place. As he recounted his day he felt his pulse begin to race.

_….and then maybe walk it off in the park…._

"Sora, are you alright?" Kairi's concern rattled his thoughts for a moment. "You suddenly turned pale." She frowned.

He touched his face blinking slowly. "I am, yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking about something." They went straight to the park afterwards and raced like they were still small children with big dreams of adventure. It was incredibly refreshing. The feel of his body breaking through the wind eased his mind of his silly little troubles.

_….then I'd even go out on a limb and try something new for her…._

The art studio. Riku was by no means an artist. There were chalk drawings on the wall of their childhood secret place to prove it. He wasn't an artistic type of guy, but that didn't stop him from bringing Sora there. Everything Riku had wanted to do for Valentine's Day had been done and he hadn't even noticed.

The brunette shook his head, turning to face Kairi. He'd deal with that in a second. At the moment there was something important he had to say. He stood there, chewing on his bottom lip while she stared at him curiously. As much as he'd like to stare into her beautiful blue eyes forever, he knew that if he didn't say this now, he never would.

"Kairi I-" he begin. She tilted her head at him. Say it. Just say it; she's right here, just standing there. Say it! "Kairi I-" It just wouldn't come out. What was wrong with him today?

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you liked the gifts." He gave her his best goofy smile, despite the failure. "Happy Valentine's Day. I have to go." With that he turned and trotted off down the street. He was angry; angry at himself. He was angry for ignoring Riku and for not being able to confess. How useless could a person get? Jeez, he was such a fuck up.

His trot quickly melted into a full on run. He continued that way, pushing his legs to go faster and further. There was something he needed to do. There were things that needed to be said. How could he have been such a clueless idiot? He ran past his house and continued down the road heading for the shore.

The evening was rolling in and with it the tide was beginning to creep along the shore. Ignoring the rising water he quickly gathered a wooden boat and headed for the island, their island. Destiny Island's seemed to stand out against the evening sky. Something just told him that Riku would be here. There was always one place you could easily find him when he wanted to think.

Sora docked the boat and trotted along the beach of his childhood playground. The nostalgia hit him all at once. His visits here had begun to become scarce since they reached high school. He entered the shed and climbed the creaky wooden steps that would lead him to the bridge connecting to the paopu tree island.

"Riku?" he called out but received no answer. Normally his back could be seen from the bridge as he stared out into the sea. However, the old bent tree was abandoned. It looked lonely even. Sora bit his lip. "I know he's here." He looked around a bit more before his eyes settled on the waterfall. There was one more place he could check.

The brunette jumped from the bridge and landed on the white sand below. The entrance to their Special Place hadn't changed. It was a bit smaller than it used to be, but then he had grown a bit. Crouching down he carefully entered, making his way through the curving tunnel until it opened up into a wide cavern. The sound of the falls outside created a soothing ambiance and the evening sky could be seen through several holes in the ceiling. Everywhere his eyes met there were drawings of their childhood.

This was their precious secret spot and sure enough Riku was leaning against the wall sleeping peacefully. He approached carefully, crouching next to the older teen so that he could gently shake him awake. "Riku?"

After a moment his eyes fluttered open and he frowned. "Sora?" he mumbled with a scratch of his head. "What are you doing here?"

"For Valentine's Day you did," the brunette shook his head, "everything you said you would do for the person you cared about? Why would you do that?" Part of him already knew the answer but he had to hear it with his own ears. "You said you weren't interested in Valentine's Day!"

Riku didn't answer at first; instead his gaze fell to the floor. It made him look strangely vulnerable. "I'm not, not really." He answered after a moment. "I have no one to really share it with other than you guys."

"There are plenty of girls that like you!" the sentence came out louder than he intended, making Riku cringe.

"I don't want any girl damnit! I want-" the sentence ended abruptly with a sigh of frustration. He eyes had clouded over and his posture was guarded.

Sora didn't want that. He wanted to talk. No, he needed to talk, to understand. "You're not looking at me now? Are you still mad about what I said yesterday?" His chest ached at the thought of Riku being mad at him. "I said I was rambling!"

Riku had always been the stronger of the two. He was taller and more athletic. He was also quicker and in that moment he proved it. He reached out with catlike reflexes and snatched Sora to him, holding the younger boy to his chest. Their eyes met for a moment. The utter confusion on the brunette's face made him want to scream. How could anyone be so dense? He did the only thing he could think of.

Before the protests started and he thought to move away, Riku stole a kiss. The initial contact was forceful. Sora's body became stuff in his grasp. That was to be expected though and it didn't deter him in the slightest bit. Sora's lips were soft against his. He ran his tongue over them, loving the way the boy's smaller frame twitched in his arms. He licked and teased until finally those lips parted and gave way to the warm cavern inside. He shoved his tongue in, dragging it along the roof of his mouth until Sora shuddered violently.

It felt good to hold him this way after all this time. After some coaxing Sora's tongue responded, reluctantly dancing along with his own. When he finally let go both participants were gasping for breath. Sora sat there, holding his lips while he searched for words. "How long?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know; how long have you liked me?!"

Riku shrugged. "Probably since middle school."

"You liked Kairi in middle school just like I did!"

"I didn't like Kairi. She's more of a sister to me, but it was the only way I could get you to look at me. What else did you want me to do Sora?!"

The question echoed off of the stone walls making the brunette cringe. All the battles and the fond memories of their healthy rivalry were gone. It was a lie? It was just a way to get attention. Sora shook his head. As if that wasn't strange enough they had just kissed. What the hell was going on?

"I don't mind that you like Kairi." He said after a moment. "In fact I hope you're both happy together. I don't want to cause any trouble for you, but I can't deny that I have this stupid crush on you."

Sora blushed. No one's ever crushed on him before. It was actually somewhat flattering. After a while he moved to sit beside his best friend. Gay or not Riku should still be Riku. "You said a gift is something that you shouldn't really have to think about. It's all about feelings. You came up with all of that just from your feelings and I couldn't think of a single thing for Kairi." He shook his head like a sullen puppy.

"Does it bother you, that I like you?"

"I'm not sure." He shrugged. For a moment he thought back to the drawing sitting in his room. He did it without thinking perhaps that in a way was his feelings? It was hard to understand. "It's confusing that's for sure."

"It's alright. I don't blame you. I did just attack your face." His friend chuckled.

"No, as your best friend I shouldn't have been so blind. I should have paid mor-" The rest of the sentence was swallowed by another kiss. However this time it was as gentle as velvet brushing along smooth skin. There was no sense of urgency to Riku's actions. It was innocent enough at first and then it became something deeper. Sora's lips were parted with a sigh allowing for their tongues to dance with Riku as the lead.

Somewhere in the back of his mind there was a sense of urgency. A small nagging voice that told him this was all wrong and too sudden. Here he was kissing his best friend on a day he was supposed to be devoting to a girl he supposedly loved. For a moment he thought to push away, but one of Riku's strong hands found a comfortable spot on his back while the other met with his hair.

His control was slipping; the fingers that teased at his scalp sent shivers down his spine that made him feel numb. Riku's mouth would always bring him back from the brink. At a certain point their kiss was broken and the older teen found his neck, kissing and licking his way down from the brunette's jawline to his collarbone. "Wait!"

Riku paused instantly, scooting back to give his best friend space. His face looked troubled. Sora hated that look. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about your feelings." He stated honestly. "I wasn't thinking at all I just-" the sentence faded at the end making Sora lean to try to catch it.

"What is it?"

"I figured that this would be the last time I got to express my feelings before you went to Kairi." He said with a sigh. "This is my last chance to get rid of this pent up frustration."

They were silent for a moment. It wasn't a comfortable silence either. Sora stared at his best friend. Riku was smart and intelligent. He was confident and even cocky, but now he sat huddled and vulnerable. Feelings were a tricky thing weren't they? Would dating Kairi mean losing Riku? Even now Sora could feel him drawing away emotionally.

To be honest, the thought of a romantic relationship had never crossed his mind. The thought of two boys dating were just weird. He bit his lip. It was weird right? Strangely enough he realized the concept didn't really bother him as much as he thought it would. No matter who he loved, Riku was still Riku.

"I know you don't love me Sora. I have no problem with that." He said with a smile. "But for today and only for today can you just let me pretend?"

Sora swallowed back his nerves and nodded slowly. As a friend he could surely grant this one wish. It was Valentine's Day after all. That's when the thought hit him. This would be his gift. In this secret place of theirs he would quietly share this private moment with the one that needed it most. "Alright." He said, returning the smile.

He took the lead this this time, crawling over towards Riku. He rose his gaze to the older boy's face. His sea green eyes were stormy, although not from anything negative. It was a look of smoldering desire and it threatened to stop him in his tracks. Shaking his head the brunette regained his confidence. He settled his body against Riku's bigger frame, blushing as the older boy's body seemed to envelope him in a veil of warmth and comfort. It was kinda nice.

This was the deciding moment. The factor that would determine if he could go on with this game or if he would run screaming. Sora looked at Riku; really looked. His fair face was framed by his wispy strands of hair. His eyes peeked from under long almost feminine lashes. His soft lips were curved up in the slightest of smiles. He was beautiful; not that looks were everything.

Beyond that Sora saw a caring and attentive soul. He was a pensive young man that went above and beyond for those he cared about. The amount of love he radiated could be compared to the warmth that is felt from the sun. With all of these things in mind he leaned up to kiss this wonderful person.

The response was almost immediate. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's smaller frame and held him close. They kissed until both parties were red in the face and breathless. Sora felt his thoughts clouding over and that was when Riku took charge. The elder boy removed his shirt, placing it on the ground so he could lay Sora upon it.

From there he gently started undressing him, exposing Sora's sun kissed skin beneath. With the boy's shirt and pants long gone he trailed his mouth and tongue over neck and shoulders while his fingers caressed the boy's arms and sides slowly, as if he'd imprint the memory by touch.

Sora quivered, every gentle touch coupled with the sensation of that warm mouth on his skin made him squirm. When he felt Riku's tongue flick over his nipple he actually moaned. There was a soft chuckle against his skin and another flick of tongue. This time he arched.

It was then that the assault became relentless. Riku's mouth lowered to his skin again, sucking and nipping on one nipple before moving to the next. His fingers gently clawed down the boy's sides until he was panting for breath. Lower and lover he went, tasting and teasing every inch of skin.

It was a maddening experience, but at least for a moment it seemed to stop. Sora lay there panting. Out of curiosity he turned his head to find Riku settling between his legs. There was a moment of panic that was quickly chased away. This person would never purposely hurt him. He had nothing to worry about.

He was right. Riku smiled, bending to kiss his inner thigh. Normally the spot would have made him erupt with laughter. However, there was nothing funny about what his best friend was doing now. Riku licked his way down his thigh, pausing at the hardened member waiting at the center.

Sora quickly turned his head away. Of course he knew Riku wouldn't tease him. That didn't stop him from being embarrassed about it though. After a soft chuckle he felt his member slowly disappear within the warmth of Riku's mouth. Sora arched, eyes rolling slightly at the feeling. However he wasn't given time to adjust as the elder boy began his work. He moved gently up and down, dragging his lips along the oversensitive skin.

If there was ever anything to drive a boy to madness it was probably this. He felt his pulse rise along with his moans. His pleasure grew, spreading warmth throughout his body until he felt like he would burst. Yeah, that was the way to describe it. He was ready to burst. "Riku!" he moaned between gasps. If this kept up it would only be a matter of time before he…

It was unknown if the silver haired teen heard him or not. He continued along with a steadily increasing pace, sucking harder as if to match his own excitement. Then almost as suddenly as he began, Riku stopped and pulled away. The sudden lack of warmth from the boy's mouth sent a rush of cold air to wrap around his member. Sora whimpered.

That was it. Riku couldn't take any more. He'd always imagined what Sora's face would look like in the throes of ecstasy but seeing it was another thing. He was absolutely irresistible, laying there with a face red from both embarrassment and arousal. It was almost more than he could stand. Not to mention his own arousal was starting to ache. So it only took him a split second to make his next decision. He quickly positioned himself at the brunette's entrance and began to push.

Now Sora tensed. His pleasure filled high momentarily interrupted by Riku's intrusion. "Wait what you are doing?!" He hadn't imagined going this far. He figured they'd just fool around a bit. This was taking things a bit to far wasn't it?

"I'm sorry, don't hate me." It was his only form of warning before he felt his entrance give way to Riku's erection. A scream tore for his lips but it was quickly sealed by another one of Riku's distracting kisses, but even that wasn't enough to mask the initial pain. His walls throbbed angrily around the offending member. His eyes burned from tears that threatened to fall. This was not what he had been expecting.

Then he began to move. It was awkward at first. Riku went slow, handling Sora as if he were porcelain. Through the discomforting pain there was friction and through that friction there was an eventual growth of warmth. It was warmth that spread like a fire and soon Sora found himself panting again.

Riku found confidence bit by bit until his strokes became smooth and gentle enough to graze that special spot hidden deep within Sora's being. The brunette's body gave a hard jerk that was followed by a scream of pleasure. Oh God this was completely different from earlier. Wave after wave of pleasure claimed them both until their bodies melded into one complete rhythm. Riku's steady thrusts were met with Sora's eager hips in a dance that tore moans from both boys' lips.

Sora's body twitched violently. The back and forth movement caressed his insides to the point of bliss. He reached out, allowing his arms to find his lover's back. By the time they were done he was positive that Riku's excellent skin would be filled with scars. That simple gesture was enough to encourage Riku to thrust harder and faster. He became almost frantic in his love making and each long stroke went in deep to rub against that magical place.

Sora's eyes were rolling he was so close. The heat between them had painted their bodies with a sheen of sweat. Somewhere between moans and almost possessive grunts, pleasure began to steadily build to the surface. It filled them both, bubbling until there was no place else for it to go. He felt it. Riku's body went rigid and his eyes shut tight. A strangled cry escaped his lips. The brunette only had a split second to wonder what happened before the elder boy's release shot from his spent shaft.

The sudden flow of hot fluids was enough to send Sora over the edge. His insides clenched tight and he too screamed an orgasm. They lay there for a moment; both spent of their energy. Sora's eyes stared sleepily at the ceiling. It was night. Through the small holes of the cave he could see the night sky blanketed with stars.

Neither of them made a attempt to move at first. Sora lay on his back comfortably; enjoying the warm weight of Riku's body on his while he rested. After a moment he reached up to caress the older boy's head. "Happy Valentine's Day Riku." He said with a lazy smile.

After a moment Riku shifted, removing his spent member from Sora's tired body. "Happy Valentine's Day Sora." He said with a smile. His body heavy, he laid next to his companion and cuddled him to his chest. "Thank you." Sora made no protest or move. It was strangely comfortable, this position. There was nothing to worry about, not even Kairi. There was only the two of them, the warmth of the night, the sound of their steady heartbeats, and the sound of the falls outside echoing through the cave walls.

* * *

Author's Rambles

So you've made it to the end. Congrats! Again, this was a LOT of fun to write. Hopefully I've produced something you enjoyed. Like it, hate it? Leave a review and let me know. Either way I use the criticism to get better.

I struggle with writing lemons. Oh my goodness I must have rewrote that same freaking part three times and I still hate it. Hopefully Riku isn't too out of character. Then again if his personality always stayed the same he'd get pretty boring. So I guess a sad Riku isn't that bad.

Also to the people requesting a sequel to The Masquerade, I've thought about it. But I think it would only be appropriate to release it during well, Halloween like I did with the first. Oh dizzyduck5 if you've stumbled across this I'd like to say I'm honored that I'm one of the few people to receive a review from you. Thank you very much: D


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